The invention relates to differential mechanisms for drive trains of vehicles and more particularly relates to a lock-out mechanism for selectively disabling the differential mechanism.
Vehicle differentials conventionally have various devices to inhibit slippage between a pair of powered wheels of a vehicle, so that the vehicle can more easily travel over poor tractive surfaces such as snow. In general these devices add weight, bulk, complexity and cost to the drive train of a vehicle. For some vehicles, such as military trucks, which may be overhauled numerous time during 10 to 20 years of hard use, a more complex differential adds to the overall cost of owning and operating the vehicle during its life. Also, of course, added bulk and weight in a vehicle differential reduce the payload capacity of the vehicle.
My invention is a vehicle differential incorporating a simple, compact mechanism for selectively locking out or disabling the differential of a vehicle. The lock-out mechanism is operable by mechanical or electrical actuation by the driver of the vehicle. Essentially, my device functions by braking or debraking a particular gear of the differential which rotates when vehicle axle shafts turn at different rates.